A Chinese Odyssey

A Chinese Odyssey (Chinese: 大話西遊) is a series of two 1994 films, directed by Jeffrey Lau. They are some of actor Stephen Chow's most famous movies, the first one being A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora's Box (西遊記第壹佰零壹回之月光寶盒) and the second one being A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella (西遊記大結局之仙履奇緣). The two films together can be called a "sad comedy" showcasing Ste ...

Including:

• A Chinese Odyssey - Story
• A Chinese Odyssey - Cast and roles include

Read more here: » A Chinese Odyssey: Encyclopedia - A Chinese Odyssey

In Greek mythology, Pandora ("all gifted") was the first woman, fashioned by Zeus as part of his punishment of mankind for having stolen the secret of fire. Pandora - The legend. The titan Epimetheus ("hindsight") was responsible for giving a positive trait to each and every animal. However, when it was time to give man a positive trait, there was nothing left. Prometheus ("foresight"), his brother, felt that because man was superior to all other animals, man should have a gift no other animal possessed. So ...

Including:

• Pandora - The legend
• Pandora - Commentary
• Pandora - Cultural allusions to Pandora and her box

Read more here: » Pandora: Encyclopedia - Pandora

He learned his trade at the Shaw Brothers TVB acting school, and co-hosted a popular Hong Kong children's program, 430 Shuttle, as a character named "Black and White Vampire", alongside future star Tony Leung Chiu Wai. His early film career was largely centred on dramatic roles, but his performance in Jeff Lau's smash-hit All For The Winner (1990) (賭聖) launched him almost exclusively into comedy films. His subsequent films built on this success, developing his distinct brand of humour called "mo lei tau" (無厘頭) ...

See also:

Stephen Chow, Stephen Chow - Professional Career, Stephen Chow - Trivia, Stephen Chow - Quotes, Stephen Chow - Filmography

Read more here: » Stephen Chow: Encyclopedia II - Stephen Chow - Professional Career

The opening chapters of the novel recount the earlier exploits of Sun Wukong, a monkey born from stone and who learns the art of fighting. It culminates in his rebellion against Heaven, when the Gautama Buddha manages to trap him under a mountain for five hundred years. The Bodhisattva Guan Yin, acting on the instructions of the Buddha, goes to Tang China to appoint someone to take the sutras back to the East. Part of the story here also relates to how Xuanzang becomes a monk and comes about being sent on this pilgrimage by the Tang e ...

See also:

Journey to the West, Journey to the West - Synopsis, Journey to the West - Historical Context, Journey to the West - Main Characters, Journey to the West - Sun Wukong, Journey to the West - Notable English-language translations

Read more here: » Journey to the West: Encyclopedia II - Journey to the West - Synopsis

He was invited to the Heavenly Kingdom by the Jade Emperor in the hopes that a promotion and title would make him a little more manageable. He proved to be an incorrigible monkey, however, after Jade Emperor looked down at him and didn't invite him to a royal banquet, he was scarfing down the Empress's Peaches of Immortality and popping Lord Lao Tzu's Pills of Indestructibility like they were Tic Tacs. Feeling guilty, but not that guilty, he became the biggest headache for everybody in heaven. Finally, the heavenly ...

See also:

Sun Wukong, Sun Wukong - Names and titles, Sun Wukong - Supernatural powers, Sun Wukong - Making trouble in Heaven, Sun Wukong - As a disciple to Sanzang, Sun Wukong - Celebrations and Festivals, Sun Wukong - Miscellaneous

Read more here: » Sun Wukong: Encyclopedia II - Sun Wukong - Making trouble in Heaven

The titan Epimetheus ("hindsight") was responsible for giving a positive trait to each and every animal. However, when it was time to give man a positive trait, there was nothing left. Prometheus ("foresight"), his brother, felt that because man was superior to all other animals, man should have a gift no other animal possessed. So Prometheus set forth to steal fire from Zeus and handed it over to man. Zeus was enraged and decided to punish Prometheus and his creation: mankind. To punish Prometheus, Zeus chained him in unbreakable fet ...

See also:

Pandora, Pandora - The legend, Pandora - Commentary, Pandora - Cultural allusions to Pandora and her box

Read more here: » Pandora: Encyclopedia II - Pandora - The legend

The Sun Wu Kong festival is celebrated on the 16th day of the 8th Lunar Month on the Chinese Calendar. Festivals feature recreations of his ordeals such as walking on a bed of coals and climbing a ladder of knives. In Hong Kong it is celebrated at the Buddhist Temple in Sau Mau Ping which has a shrine to Sun Wukong. ...

See also:

Sun Wukong, Sun Wukong - Names and titles, Sun Wukong - Supernatural powers, Sun Wukong - Making trouble in Heaven, Sun Wukong - As a disciple to Sanzang, Sun Wukong - Celebrations and Festivals, Sun Wukong - Miscellaneous

Read more here: » Sun Wukong: Encyclopedia II - Sun Wukong - Celebrations and Festivals

Journey to the West - Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, has become one of the most famous and beloved characters in Chinese literature. His recognition factor and popularity in Asia is comparable to those of Mickey Mouse in Western countries although considering his personality, Bugs Bunny might be a better comparison. His child-like playfulness is a huge contrast to his cunning mind. These, coupled with his acrobatic skills makes him a likeable hero although not necessarily a good role model. His antics t ...

See also:

Journey to the West, Journey to the West - Synopsis, Journey to the West - Historical Context, Journey to the West - Main Characters, Journey to the West - Sun Wukong, Journey to the West - Notable English-language translations

Read more here: » Journey to the West: Encyclopedia II - Journey to the West - Main Characters

The story of Pandora's Box can be interpreted in more than one way, but one obvious moral is that of "curiosity killed the cat". Some scholars contend that Pandora's "box" may have been a mistranslation, and her "box" may have been a large jar or vase, forged from the earth. In fact, there is evidence that suggests Pandora herself was the jar. In Ancient Greece jars commonly bore images of women. The jar was said to have been in a jar form because of the similarit ...

See also:

Pandora, Pandora - The legend, Pandora - Commentary, Pandora - Cultural allusions to Pandora and her box

Read more here: » Pandora: Encyclopedia II - Pandora - Commentary

The classic tale of "the Journey to the West" was based on real events. The real journey to the west took place during the Tang Dynasty. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, was both the starting and ending point of this epic journey. The statue of Xuanzang can be seen near the right of this panorama. Xuanzang reached India after he experienced innumerable trials and hardships, of course without the help of his almighty disciples in the novel. Xuanzang then lived in India for more than a decade, learning classics of B ...

See also:

Journey to the West, Journey to the West - Synopsis, Journey to the West - Historical Context, Journey to the West - Main Characters, Journey to the West - Sun Wukong, Journey to the West - Notable English-language translations

Read more here: » Journey to the West: Encyclopedia II - Journey to the West - Historical Context

(listed in the order that he first acquired them) Meihou Wang (美猴王): Meaning "Beautiful Monkey King". His name Sun (孫) is based on the Chinese word (Hu2 sun1, 猢猻) which means monkey. Wukong (悟空): Meaning "aware of emptiness". The name given to him by his first master, Subodhi. Bimawen (弼馬溫): The title of the keeper of the Heavenly Horses, a punning of pimawen (辟馬瘟; lit. "removing the horses' plague"). A monkey was often put in a stable as people believe its presence c ...

See also:

Sun Wukong, Sun Wukong - Names and titles, Sun Wukong - Supernatural powers, Sun Wukong - Making trouble in Heaven, Sun Wukong - As a disciple to Sanzang, Sun Wukong - Celebrations and Festivals, Sun Wukong - Miscellaneous

Read more here: » Sun Wukong: Encyclopedia II - Sun Wukong - Names and titles

Legends tells that Wukong was born out of a rock and through his many adventures he was able to master an array of amazing abilities and powers. He knows 72 transformations, double that of Zhu Bajie, the pig that also accompanies and protects Sanzang. Through a series of audacious stunts he acquires the powers of immortality, shape-changing ability, cloud travel skills, and ownership of a handy "as-you-will resizeable cudgel or staff" which he keeps inside his ear but can brandish and resize it at will to the "width of a rice bowl" an ...

See also:

Sun Wukong, Sun Wukong - Names and titles, Sun Wukong - Supernatural powers, Sun Wukong - Making trouble in Heaven, Sun Wukong - As a disciple to Sanzang, Sun Wukong - Celebrations and Festivals, Sun Wukong - Miscellaneous

Read more here: » Sun Wukong: Encyclopedia II - Sun Wukong - Supernatural powers